[DE - 13] AiE : Endeavor

Continued from
Demons
----------------------

>You opened your eyes to the darkness.
>You were in Anon's guest bed.
>Letting out a sigh of relief, you sat up and examined the spartan room.
>The major features being the bed you were currently occupying and a nightstand with a lamp.
>Nothing fancy, just a guest bedroom.
>Using your magic, you switched the lamp on to illuminate the dark room.
>Wonder what time it was?
>You trotted over to the window and pushed the curtains to the side.
>Great.  Still storming out.
>How long were the pegasi going to let it rain?
>This was getting ridiculous.
>
>You pulled the curtains back to their previous position using your magic.
>Better use it while you can, you won't have it for much longer.
>It'd be worth it though.
>You hadn't realized how much of an impact Anon and Rainbow had on your life...
>They were more than just friends to you.
>Before them, good friends had been few and far between for you.
>The only other ponies you really considered friends were Octavia, Pinkie, and Snowflake.
>Octavia didn't reciprocate your feelings, and Snowflake was more a big brother than anything.
>That really only left Pinkie.
>
>She was nice and all, but she could really get on your nerves.
>Sometimes, you just wanted to chill.  Whenever she'd push you just a little too hard to do something, you'd lash out at her.
>Then she'd try extra hard to make it up to you, and it'd start all over again.
>She'd finally gotten the message a while ago and has since been good about giving you your space.
>Now, you found yourself setting in to a similar situation with Anon and Rainbow.

----------------------

>Fortunately though, you had somewhat of a handle on this situation.
>You'd given them a wide birth, and they seemed to appreciate that.
>Well, at least Anon appreciated it.
>Rainbow was still a bit upset with you, but you were going to change all that.
>You'd decided to go with her idea of a horn dampener until she was able to fly again.
>She couldn't fly, so you couldn't do magic.
>Seems fair enough.
>
>You wandered around the room for a bit, trying to find a clock of some description.
>Finally managing to locate a watch tucked away in the nightstand drawer, you discovered that it was early morning.
>Breakfast time!
>Maybe you could make them breakfast?
>Might as well try.
>
>You stealthily made your way down to the kitchen.
>The kitchen had been designed with Anon in mind, but it didn't make things too difficult for you.
>Standing on your hind legs while propping yourself up with your forelegs, you were able to see what you were doing.
>Using your magic, you began to arrange some pans on the stove.
>While it was heating up, you rummaged around the fridge to find some bacon and eggs.
>After setting those aside, you went and searched the pantry for some pancake mix.
>Being a unicorn had its advantages, as it was all the way at the top.
>A simple matter of magic to get it down, and breakfast was on its way!
>
>A little while later, you were startled by Anon's voice.
>"Vinyl?  What are you doing?"
"Gah!"
>When you got your bearings again, you resumed making breakfast and answered him.
"Sorry, I didn't hear you get up.  I'm making breakfast!"

----------------------

>Anon looked out the window then back to you.
>"Aight.  Watcha making?"
"I've got some bacon, eggs, and pancakes going!"
>"Sounds good.  Need any help?"
"Nah, I got this.  Why don't you go get Rainbow?  Breakfast oughta be done in a couple minutes."
>"Sure," he said as he stretched and yawned.
>You carried on making a delicious smelling breakfast and set the table.
>The kitchen was a very much over the top.
>You'd made sure Anon had everything he needed and then some.
>The kitchen counter wrapped around a center island; with the sink, fridge, and freezer on the far side.
>Across from the bar portion of the counter was a wooden table with four chairs.
>It was basically a smaller version of the kitchen you'd had back at the auditorium.
>The design seemed to lend itself well to fixing multiple things at once, and breakfast was ready and on the table not five minutes after Anon went to get Rainbow.
>You were pouring drinks when Anon came back downstairs and sat down at the table.
"Where's Rainbow?"
>"She's getting up.  Slowly.  Anyway, I'm starved.  Let's eat."
>No argument from you.
>You hopped up into your chair to Anon's right and started eating your delicious eggs and pancakes.
>The two of you were munching away when Rainbow finally showed up.
"If about tm!"
>"Yeah, what took you so long?"
>She groggily looked from you to Anon before shaking her head.
>"Do either of you have any idea what time it is?"
"Uhhh..."
>You swallowed your mouthful.
"Seven AM?  Eight?"
>"Try two in the morning."
>Anon started snickering.
"What?  But the watch in my room said--"

----------------------

>"Look at the wall clock."
>You did so, only to see it strike two am on the nose.
"Oh..."
>"And YOU!"
>Anon snickered harder and looked at Rainbow.
>"What, Dashie?"
>"You knew what time it was, why didn't you tell her?"
>"I was hungry.  Seemed like a good idea at the time.  Don't be a sour puss, c'mon.  Breakfast is ready and everything!"
>She grumbled something and headed towards the seat to Anon's left, directly across from you.
>As the three of you neared the end of breakfast, Anon started asking Rainbow about the storm.
>"I dunno.  Probably bit off more than they could chew."
>"Even still, don't they have more pegasi that can help clear the storm?"
>"I'm sure they do, but it'll probably be another day or so before Weather Central finally sends them."
>"Why would they wait so long?"
>"Because they don't want to butt in unless they have too."
>"Huh.  Guess we'll just have to wait and see."
"It's not all bad though.  I kinda like the rain!"
>"You won't like the flooding if they let it rain for too much longer."
"Oh... Good point."
>"Well, I'm gonna go change bandages.  Nonny, you mind helping me?"
>"Alright.  Thanks for breakfast Vinyl."
"No problem!"
>They headed up the stairs, leaving you to clean up the battlefield that was breakfast.
>A little magic, and the kitchen was clean in about ten minutes.
>
>Well.
>What do you do now?
>
>
>
>There wasn't much you could do, so you went back to your room to maybe think some more.
>And set the watch to the right time.
>Breakfast at two in the morning.
>Huh.  Who'd a guessed?

----------------------

>So many things running around your head right now.
>Maybe Dash will finally treat you like a friend after this whole magic-dampener thing.
>Anon didn't seem to have a problem with you; rather he seemed to understand where your situation.
>The feeling of rain at two in the morning was... relaxing.
>Something about rain just... calmed you.  Let you focus even.
>Now you found yourself missing the sun roof back at your auditorium...
>
>Right.
>Your auditorium.
>Those fucking pegasi had managed to guide the stray tornado away from town, right into your auditorium.
>Now, you'd had the thing insured, sure, but it was still gone.
>Re-construction wouldn't start until this weather was taken care of.
>Not to mention all of your belongings that may or may not have been completely wrecked by now.
>It'd be weeks before all the paperwork was cleared; probably months before your auditorium was back in working order.
>What were you going to do about the concerts?
>You still had... what, two?  Two concerts left before the lunar celebration.
>The lunar celebration... This might wind up being the first one you ever miss.
>You weren't so much worried about Luna being pissed, she was an alright pony once you got to know her.
>It was more about missing the event.
>Sure you could hold the concert later, but it wouldn't be the same.
>It wouldn't be Luna's concert.
>Maybe Snowflake knew some--
>Fuck.
>Snowflake.
>Not to mention all your other employees.
>You couldn't pay them if you didn't perform and make some money!
>There was a bit of money in the bank for emergencies like this, but...

----------------------

>It might cover a week, maybe two of their pay.
>Looks like you're going to be doing some serious number crunching...
>You might be able to pull it off, but you'd have to empty your reserves entirely.
>No payment for you.
>Hope you stay on Anon and Rainbow's good side...
>You looked hopefully at the watch.
>Two-thirty.
>
>
>Fuck.
>Maybe you could try and sleep?
>There was just nothing you could really do right now...
>You couldn't go and get the dampener, the hospital was likely only accepting emergencies right now...
>Too early to go to the bank or the post office to mail your insurance agent.
>Whelp.
>Try and sleep it is.
>You hopped up onto the cozy bed and tried to get some sleep.
>
>A bit of tossing and turning later, and you were awake once more.
>You rolled over to look at the watch.
>Seven AM.
>Finally.
>Shit's open now.
>You got out of bed and went to take a shower.
>
>
>After a relaxing shower, you felt a bit better and ready to go.
>First stop, the hospital.
>As you were about to leave though, a voice caught your attention.
>"Vinyl?  Where are you going?"
>You stopped and turned to see Anon at the top of the stairs, rubbing his eyes.
"I'm going to the hospital, why?"
>"The hospital?  Why're you--"
"The dampener, remember?"
>"Oh... Yeah, I guess so.  You want me to come with you?"
>You stopped and thought about that for a minute.
>What the hell, why not.
"Yeah, sure."
>"Aight, gimmie a second to get dressed."
"Okay."
>You promptly went back to the couch and sat down.
>Not much to do but wait on Anon now.
>Why were you so... nervous?

----------------------

>Was it because you were going to the hospital?
>...No.
>Maybe, it was the dampener?
>Nope.  Not it either.
>Was it--
>"Alright, let's get going before it starts raining again."
>Yup.  It was Anon.
>That much was made clear after you peeled yourself from the couch.
>"You okay?  You seem a bit..."
"Yeah, I'm fine.  A little jumpy is all."
>"...I can see that."
>Dammit.
>Why was Anon making you nervous?
>"Well, let's get going."
"Right."
>Just calm down.
>There's no reason Anon should make you nervous, he's your best fri--
>HE'S ALREADY OUT THE DOOR!
>SHIT!
>You ran to catch up with him and closed the door hastily behind yourself.
>Focus, dammit.
>"Hey, you sure you're okay?"
"What?  Yeah, I'm fine."
>"You say so."
>You walked beside him in silence for a couple blocks.
>Mostly because you were busy trying to figure out why he was making you so nervous.
>What the hell was it?
>Maybe it's just been so long since you've talked with him for more than ten minutes?
>Or maybe--
>"Whatever's bothering you, just spit it out already.  Jeeze."
"What?"
>"You haven't said a word in ten minutes.  I know you, something’s up.  Now spill."
"I... I don't..."
>"Just say the first thing that comes to your mind."
>You thought for a while...
>Hmmm...
"Are... Are you still mad at me?"
>Anon stopped walking to give you a curious look.
>"Uhhh... No?  Vinyl, I understand why what happened happened.  Do you think I'm still mad at you?"
"I... I dunno.  That was just the first thing that came to mind..."
>"Well no, I'm not mad at you.  You just need to get used to being in the same house as us, I think."

----------------------

"Maybe... I'm sorry, it's just..."
>"A little weird?  Only if you let it be weird."
"...Yeah, breakfast at two in the morning was kinda weird..."
>"Hey, you make some damn fine pancakes."
>You laughed at that.  Honestly not what you were expecting him to say.
>"Now come on, let's get to the hospital before it decides to rain on us some more."
>"Anon!  Hey Mister Anon!"
>You and Anon stopped to look around for the source of the voice.
>Turns out it was a grey pegasus carrying some mail.
>"Derpy?  Hey, what's up?"
>She flew down to eye level with Anon.
>"I'm glad I caught you.  I've got a letter here for you."
>"Really?  Well thanks, I guess.  I haven't gotten mail in a while..."
>"Well, I've gotta finish my mail route, I'll see you later!"
>"Mail route?  At seven in the morning?"
>"I have a big route, helps to start early."
>"Alrighty then.  Thanks, I'll see you around."
>With that she flew off.
>"So, you wanna read it for me?"
"Uhh, sure."
>Using your magic, you opened the letter and read it as you walked with Anon towards the hospital.
"Let's see... It says here... Huh.  That's weird."
>"Well don't keep me in suspense, what is it?"
"Ms. Cheerilee would like to speak with you and Rainbow Dash at the school."
>"Really?  When?"
"Says here whenever you get the opportunity, she would like to speak with the two of you about one of her students."
>"That's odd.  I wonder why?"
"Doesn't say.  Doesn't even say who the student is."
>You folded the letter up and placed it back in the envelope.
>"Maybe Dash knows... Huh.  Weird."

----------------------

"That is pretty weird.  Any idea what she wants?"
>"Not a clue."
"Well, you wanna go and--"
>"After we get the dampener, sure."
>Dang.
>So close.
>"...You know, you don't have to do this if you don't want to."
"But I do want to do this!  I promised Rainbow!  I lost you guys once, I'm not gonna screw things up again."
>Anon was silent.
"...I might want you to stay with me while they put it on though..."
>He walked up beside you and scratched behind your right ear.
>"I'll stay with you as long as they let me."
>The two of you continued walking towards the hospital in silence.
>A distant roll of thunder signaled that the storm wasn't over yet.
>At least it wasn't raining like it had been for the past couple days.
>"Boy I hope it doesn't start raining on us.  I've almost forgotten what sunlight is."
"Hey c'mon, I'll race ya!"
>Before he could respond, you were sprinting as fast as you could.
>Just when you thought you'd gotten off to a good start, he passed you.
>What?!
>He's only got two legs!
>How is he so fast?
>Soon, you'd lost sight of him completely.
>Shortly thereafter, you slowed to a walk to catch your breath.
>
>When you finally arrived at the hospital, you found Anon sitting on a bench waiting for you.
>"Took you long enough.  I thought you were gonna race?"
"How did you go so fast?"
>"That wasn't fast, Vinyl.  That was a decent jog at best."
"A jog?  I bet you could keep up with Rainbow if that was just a jog."
>"Ha!  Not likely.  She's blazing fast.  So what kept you?"
"I... I stopped to catch my breath."

----------------------

>"Catch your breath?  Vinyl, that was all of maybe two blocks.  Either you need some exercise, or you need to work on your pacing."
>He had a point.  Physical activity wasn't really your forte...
"Hey gimmie a break!  There isn't much physical activity involved with my job..."
>"Yeah, I can tell.  Anyways, you ready to do this?"
>You sighed and sat down next to him on the bench.
"Ready as I'll ever be."
>The hospital air was a nice change to what you and Anon had been walking in.
>Given the time of year, it was starting to get cold out; combine that with the recent rain and lack of sunlight, and you have yourself a pretty chilly situation.
>All of that took a back seat in your mind when a nurse started asking you questions.
>"Ms. Scratch?"
"Oh!  Right, sorry."
>"That's quite alright.  Let's head back and get you ready."
"Uhh, can Anon come with me?"
>"I don't see why not; it's your decision."
>You and Anon followed the nurse back to the room where you'd have the dampener put on.
>"The doctor will be with you shortly."
>You and Anon were left alone in the hospital room.
>The walls were white; there was a bench next to various medical cabinets and a table in the middle of the room.
"What is it with hospitals and everything being white?"
>"I'd suppose it--"
"Ya know what?  Never mind.  I don't want to know."
>"It's kinda funny how much stuff is similar to back home..."
"Really?"
>"Yeah.  Clinics have rooms almost exactly like this back home.  Granted everything is a bit... taller."
"I can't imagine WHY..."

----------------------

>Before he could make a response, the doctor walked in.
>"Hello Ms. Scratch. I'll be applying the dampener you requested today.  But before we get to that, I have a few questions for you."
"Okay."
>"First off, have you ever had one of these dampeners on before?"
"No."
>"Alright.  Is there another unicorn that will be checking in on you?  Making sure the dampener is in working order and such?"
"Uhh... No."
>"Then I'm afraid we can't proceed.  You need to have somepony nearby that can check the device, or you'll have to stay at the hospital."
"What?  Why?"
>"If there is an emergency or the dampener starts causing pain, you wouldn't be able to do anything with it on."
"Shit... Ummm... What about Anon?"
>"What?  Me?"
"Well sure!  I bet you could work that thing pretty good with your hands."
>"I suppose that could work.  Anon, will you be staying with Ms. Scratch?"
>"Uhh, that's one way to put it, yeah.  She won't be too far from me for a while."
>"Very well then.  If you'd please come over here, I'll walk you through the little details and how to work this dampener."
>"All right."
>The doctor proceeded to detail the workings of the dampener to Anon.
>It didn't seem to put up much of a challenge for his hands.  Most, if not all, of what needed to be done to the dampener with magic, Anon could do with his hands.
>Before you realized what was going on, Anon was placing the dampener on your horn.
"GAH!"
>You jumped at the sudden physical contact to your horn.
>"Vinyl?  You okay?"
"Jeeze!  Gimmie a little heads up Anon!"
>"Sorry.  You ready?"

----------------------

"...Yeah, I guess."
>"Then sit still."
>He walked over to where you were sitting and placed the dampener on your horn.
>It was a bit weird, to say the least.
>Unicorn horns were sensitive, but this wasn't exactly a pleasant feeling...
>Though that's not to say it hurt or anything.  It was just...
>Different.
>"So, how's it feel?"
"Pretty good.  Is that it?  That's all you had to do?"
>"Well, not quite."
>He reached up and began adjusting something on the dampener.
>You felt a slight increase in pressure, before he tugged at it.
"Hey!  What're you doing?"
>"I had to tighten it.  Make sure it doesn't fall off or anything.  Everything still feel alright?"
"Yeah."
>The doctor walked over to inspect Anon's work.
>"I'd say you did a fine job, Anon.  Those hands of yours seem to be a good match for magic."
>"I've thought the same thing some days, doc."
>"I'll have to check with my superiors first, but if you ever find yourself needing a job, let me know.  We could probably use someone like you around here."
>"Uhh... Thanks.  I'll keep that in mind."
>"Well, I have other patients to attend to.  Just make sure to check in with the front desk before you leave, and you're all set."
"Sweet."
>The doctor left the two of you alone, and Anon began inspecting the device he'd placed upon your horn.
>"That wasn't so bad now was it?"
"No, not really.  Do you have to look at it like that though?"
>"Yup.  You wanna see it?"
"...Not really.  I'm pretty sure I'll be sick of looking at it after a while."
>"Yeah, probably."
>Another deadpan look to Anon shut him up.

----------------------

"Well, I don't feel any different."
>"Maybe try and use magic?"
>You attempted to levitate the device off of your horn.
>No luck.
>You closed your eyes and concentrated harder, pumping more magic through your body.
>A good minute later, you stopped and sat down, drained.
"Woo.  Yeah, it works."
>"Now you just have to get used to not using magic."
"Ha, shouldn't be too hard."
>"Oh really?  You think you can just go from using magic every day to not at all so easy?"
"As a matter of fact, I do."
>"I suppose we'll just have to wait and see then, won't we."
"I guess we will."
>"So what do you wanna do now, just head back home?"
"I think we should head back home, yeah.  You and Rainbow need to find out what Ms. Cheerilee wants."
>"Oh?  Trying to get us out of the house already?  And just what are you gonna do while we're out?"
"Don't worry; I've got plenty of stuff to keep me busy."
>"Really now?  Like what?"
"Well, I've got to make sure my employees are paid; I've got to get ahold of my insurance agent to start rebuilding the auditorium; I've--"
>"Alright, I get the idea.  Let's get a move on then."
>The two of you headed out the door and back to the main lobby, where Anon checked you out of the hospital.
>As you waited for Anon to finish checking you out of the hospital, you couldn't help but feel like all the ponies in the waiting room were staring at you.
>Not that you would mind, being a performer numbed that effect greatly; but this was different.
>They weren't looking to you for the same reasons as when you were on stage...

----------------------

>Haven't even made it out of the hospital, and already you're self-conscious.
>Great.
>Man, ever since Anon came into your life, you've had a hell of a time with PR.
>First the incident on stage, now this damned thing.
>Ponies are sure to start thinking you're going crazy.
>Just... Try not to focus on it.
>Yeah, you've got other things to worry about.
>Like paying your employees.
>All... Oh boy, you do have a decent sized number of ponies working for you...
>That's right; you're going to have to empty all the savings you have to make sure they get paid.
>At least you've got Anon and Rainbow.
>
>As you and Anon are walking back to his house in silence, your mind starts to wander.
>All of this was your fault.  Had you just stepped back and let your guards handle that drunken pony, this situation would've never happened.
>Had you been able to control yourself, you wouldn't have hurt Rainbow.
>But that was in the past.  In the now, you were trying to fix things.
>Slowly, but you were trying at least.  If it took a magic dampener to show that you cared for Rainbow, then so be it.
>All of your thoughts came to a screeching halt as you walked smacked into the closed front door of Anon's house.
>"Oh yeah?  You feelin alright?"
>You stood up and shook your head.  The hell just happened?  You were letting your mind wander, that's what happened...
"I'm... I'm fine, just got a little distracted is all."
>"And that's why you ran into the door then?  It's a good thing ponies don't have cell phones.  I can only imagine a pegasus trying to text and fly."

----------------------

"You mean like your phone?  Hey, what did you do with that thing anyways?"
>"Very sneaky changing the subject like that.  I still have it, dunno why though.  Why do you ask?"
"Just curious is all."
>"And I'm just curious as to why you felt it necessary to walk into a closed door."
>You gave him a deadpan look.
>"...You tried to use magic and open it, didn't you?"
"Shut up."
>"Oooooh man, this is gonna be good."
"Shut up!"
>He opened the door for you and the two of you stepped inside.
>"Anon?  Is that you?  Where did you--"
>Rainbow stopped talking when she reached the bottom of the stairs and saw you and your dampener.
>"...Right.  The dampener."
"I figured I should get it as soon as possible."
>Rainbow's expression became stoic; like she wasn't sure what to think about you having the device on your horn.
>"Oh god dammit."
>You and Rainbow both turned your attention to Anon.
>"I just realized I basically put a condom on your head, Vinyl."
>Rainbow fell over laughing.
"That's one way to look at it I guess..."
>"Ohohoh man, you should see the look on your face Nonny!"
>Rainbow was in tears of laughter rolling on the ground.
>"Yeah yeah, laugh it up.  You know, I could go and ask Twilight about pree--"
>"You wouldn't dare."
>"Try me, skittles."
"Skittles?"
>"I'll tell ya later."
"Right.  Well, you gonna tell 'skittles' about the letter?"
>"Oh!  Right!"
>"Letter?"
>He handed the letter over to her and let her read it.
>"That's weird... I wonder why--"
>"No idea.  You wanna find out?"
>"I guess.  Got nothing else to do, really."
>"Alright.  Vinyl, we'll be back in a while."
"Okay."

----------------------

>As the pair left, you went and shut the door behind them.
>Or rather, sat there staring at it until you realized you had to use your hooves to close it instead of magic.
>Fuck.
>Anon was right, this wasn't going to be easy to get used to.
>
>That was made even clearer when you realized you were going to have to pour yourself a drink with your hooves instead of magic.
>Now, all ponies had a tiny bit of magic in them.  It's how they could pick things up with their hooves and whatnot.
>Unicorns weren't exactly known for using their hooves though.  Tended to use magic from their horns more.
>
>Ya know.  Because they're UNICORNS.
>You hadn't used your hooves in a while...
>Funny how you don't really notice how much you use something until you can't use it.
>Maybe you could just slip the dampener off while they're away...
>You reached up and tried to pull it off with little success.
>The things were designed to match a frequency of magic once activated, and had a couple small key parts that made sure it took another unicorn to properly remove it.
>An Earth pony or pegasus could remove the device, but it would be much harder for them.  Most of the security parts were in small or hard-to-reach crevices of the device.
>Damn.
>Can't cheat this thing.
>Oh well, it's just a glass of water.  How hard could it be to pour yourself a drink anyways?
>
>It wasn't until the third glass that you managed to get used to using only your hooves.
>Not like you had to re-teach yourself or anything, but you did have to get used to it.

----------------------

>Magic was one thing, but you were fairly certain that Discord himself possessed any quill or pen you tried to use.
>You weren't one of the ponies who learned to write with her mouth, so writing a letter to your insurance agent was proving difficult.
>Fuck it, you'll take care of that later.
>You could at least do simple mathematics with tick marks, so you went on to work on budgeting your considerable savings.
>Making sure to keep all the ponies in their respective pay grades, you managed to work it out so they'd have an income.
>At least until the auditorium was re-built and you were making money again.
>Hope princess Luna could forgive you for missing a concert...
>You'd have to face her eventually.  Wonder if she's heard about the auditorium yet?
>She always loved your concerts, especially the Lunar festival concerts.
>Every year.  You'd never missed one.
>Now you were probably going to miss the biggest of the Lunar concerts.
>You treated her more like a popular fan than a princess at those concerts, and she appreciated that.
>It was her time to relax and just enjoy herself.  She struck you as a pony that didn't do that all too often.
>Seeing her smile and have a good time made it all the better.
>
>Should you cancel the concert or reschedule it?  It was based around the time of year more than anything...
>Hmm... Maybe you'll just ask Anon and Rainbow when they get back.  Surely they'll have an idea or two about what you should do.
>Right now you've got to figure out some way of getting ahold of your insurance agent.

----------------------

>Writing a letter without magic was possible, but highly illegible.
>Not to say that you had perfect writing by any stretch of the imagination, but it was at least legible when you used magic.
>You'd never learned to use your mouth to manipulate a pen and write like that, so that was out of the window.
>Not to say you didn't try to learn how.  It was more like whistling.  Some ponies couldn't whistle, you couldn't write without magic.
>It hadn't been a big deal at the time; you never figured you'd have to go without magic.
>Just when you were about to try writing with your hoof, you were torn away from the mess of paper and ink you'd made in the kitchen by a knock at the door.
>Wonder who that could be?
>You trotted over to the door and opened it -using your hooves this time- to find-
>"Vinyl?"
>You couldn't believe it.  Of all the ponies to knock on the door, it was her.
"Tavi?  What are you doing here?"
>"Err... Might I come in?"
"Uhh, sure."
>You stepped back and let her in, closing the door behind her.
>"This is a nice house Anon has."
"Tavi... You never visit me.  What's wrong?"
>"Am I that obvious?" she sighed.
>"I was worried about you, Vinyl.  I'd heard some rumors about an accident of some sort at one of your concerts, and then I heard about the weather you've been having recently..."
"What?"
>"As... Annoying as you are, you're still my friend, Vinyl.  I just wanted to check up on you is all."
"Oh..."
>"Darling, what is that... contraption you're wearing on your head?"
"It's... a long story."

----------------------

>"Supposing I'm not intruding, I've plenty of time."
"Sure... Why not."
>You directed her and yourself over to the couch and began detailing what had happened since you last saw her.
>She remained silent throughout your retelling of past events, and waited until you'd finished to break her gaze from yours.
>"I see..."
"Yeah... It's been a little crazy, Tavi."
>"Well, you've always been the one to live a little on the wild side."
"That's... one way to put it."
>"Yes, I suppose it is.  Do you need any help?  Anything I can do?"
"Tavi, you don't get breaks that often.  You should be with your friends, not--"
>"Vinyl, I'm offering you my help.  I don't do this often, so let me know how I can help before I change my mind."
"...Well, I was going to write a letter to my insurance agent."
>"Was?  What's stopping you?"
"I... Never learned how to write with my mouth.  I can't exactly write without magic."
>"And I take it you've no idea how to write with your hooves either, do you?"
"No..."
>"Very well then, I shall help you write a letter.  Do you have some paper and a quill?"
"Yeah, in the kitchen.  I'll go--"
>"Stay where you are, I'm already up.  It's over here, right?"
>She trotted into the kitchen before you could stop her.
"Tavi, wait!"
>"Vinyl, what in the world is all this?"
"I was... working on some business stuff is all."
>She trotted over to the end of the table that you'd deposited your chaos on and stood on her hind legs to get a better view.
>"Well.  I think I'll get this organized first, and then we'll work on the letter."

----------------------

"But Tavi--"
>You were interrupted by the front door opening.
>"Vinyl?  We're back."
"Hi Nonny!"
>"Nonny?  Interesting nickname."
"I--"
>Anon walked into the kitchen to see what you were up to.
>"Oh, hello Octavia."
>"Anon."
"Octavia decided to drop by and see how I was doing.  How'd the meeting with Cheerilee go?"
>"The meeting was... Well, I'll tell you about it later.  What on Earth did you do to the table?  It looks like a tornado ran through here."
"I was just taking care of some business stuff is all."
>"Really?  Demolition maybe?"
>Cue another deadpan look for Anon.
>"Well, I suppose I'll get going.  Vinyl dear, I'll be in town for about a week.  Do stop by so that we might catch up?"
"Okay Tavi.  Your usual place?"
>"Quite.  Good afternoon, Anon."
>Anon nodded his head to Octavia and showed her out.
>"So, what was this about a letter?"
"I was gonna write a letter to my agent in Fillydelphia about the auditorium.  I need to get it taken care of as soon as possible."
>"Oh."
"It can wait though.  So what was all the hubbub with Cheerilee?"
>Anon sighed before responding.
>"Why don't we go sit down in the living room?  It's been an... Eventful morning."
"That bad huh?"
>"Not exactly..."
>You followed him to the living room and hopped up on the couch.
>"So... We went to see Ms. Cheerilee.  She had made sure the kids stayed at home to stay safe from whatever the storm might do."
>"When we showed up, she had a little chat with us about Scootaloo."
"Scootaloo?"
>"Yeah, you know her?"
"Little orange pegasus?"
>"Yeah, that's her."

----------------------

"I ran into her once a while ago when she was looking for Rainbow."
>"Well, Scoots has been... causing some problems for another filly named Diamond Tiara."
"Filthy Rich's kid?"
>"Yup.  Now, you remember how Filthy was the one who took all of Rainbows belongings?"
"Yeah..."
>"So does Scootaloo.  Now, Diamond Tiara apparently pulls pranks or teases Scoots at school.  Given Scootaloo basically worships Rainbow, she finally fought back."
>"Ms. Cheerilee knows about her obsession with Rainbow Dash, and figured she might be able to help."
"Yeah, I guess I can see why she'd want to see Dash.  Sucks that she doesn't have any parents to turn to."
>"What?"
"Well, she's an orphan, isn't she?"
>"No.  Who told you she was?"
"Uhh... She did."
>"Odd.  While Scoot's mom died after giving birth, Rainbow knows her father.  His name is Thunderlane."
"Then why didn't Ms. Cheerilee--"
>"She said that Scoot insisted she would rather face Dash than her father.  She apparently begged Ms. Cheerilee to not tell Thunderlane."
"That sounds suspicious."
>"I think so too, but there isn't much we can do about it.  Besides, Rainbow is focusing more on making sure Scootaloo is okay."
>"She's gonna come over later with her friends and we're all gonna sit down and talk with her about what happened.  Maybe Rainbow can reassure her or something."
"Seems like a good plan.  You guys want me to do anything?"
>"No offense Vinyl, but I think Scootaloo is more interested in hearing what Dash has to say.  Besides, she barely knows you."

----------------------

"Yeah, there is that.  Probably for the best, considering I don't know too much about kids."
>"Why don't you go see Octavia while me and Rainbow talk with the fillies?  Seems like the timing is perfect."
"You know what?  You're right.  The timing is pretty good I guess."
>"I mean it's up to you, but I don't think Scootaloo will be too interested in what you have to say is all."
"Alright, I get it.  Jeeze."
>"Don't worry, we still love you."
>He reached over and ruffled your mane.
"Yeah yeah.  Hey, where's your... phone?  I think I might mess with it for a while, see if I can't get it working again."
>He reached into his pocket and held out the device.
"You still carry it around?  I thought it was--"
>"It is.  Old habits die hard."
"Uh huh, sure."
>You attempted to grip the phone with magic once or twice before realizing you still had the dampener on.
"...Dammit."
>"Told ya," he managed to say before giggling like an idiot and putting his phone away.
"One day I'll get that thing working.  Then we'll see whose laughing."
>"I'm sure.  Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to clean up around the house a bit.  Good example and all that," he said as he stood up.
"Good example?  You?"
>"No time like the present."
>As he turned to walk away, you decided he was right.  No time like the present.
>You kept that in mind as you tackled him to the ground in a hug.
>"Vinyl, wha--"
"No time like the present, Nonny!"
>You hopped off of him and trotted towards the door.
>"Boy, you haven't done that in a while."
"And you were getting used to being vertical."

----------------------

>"I can dream, can't I?"
"Exactly.  I'll see you guys later."
>You stepped out the door and secured it behind you.
>To Octavia!
>
>
>
>It was mid-day now, from what you could tell, anyways.
>The clouds still obscured the sun, but that didn't stop ponies from going about their business.
>They'd apparently had enough of this weather keeping them from their daily activities.
>Taking advantage of the temporary lack of rain, most were running about gathering supplies and taking care of as much business as possible before the next monsoon hit.
>You were of the same mentality, heading straight to Octavia's usual hotel.
>She stayed in the same hotel every time she visited Ponyville.  Probably paid for by the Orchestra.  Who knows?
>You'd offered to let her stay at the auditorium multiple times, but she declined each offer.
>Probably your music.  She wasn't one for beats.
>Maybe you'd try and listen to some of her music sometime... Could be fun.
>Or boring as hell.  One way to find out!
>You have to get to her first though.
>
>
>
>Several hours later, you and Octavia were getting along better than you had in a long time.
>She'd promised to listen to some of your music if you'd listen to hers.  In your perverse little mind, that came across as very dirty.
>But hey.  Whatever works.
>She'd helped you write a letter to your agent, which you had gripped securely in your mouth.
>You were heading back to Anon's house now, feeling much better after having talked to Octavia for a bit.
>She was a good friend and all, but you wanted to get back to Anon and Rainbow.

----------------------

>You still had work to do, and she had other friends to visit while she was here.
>The main thing though, was that she knew you were alright and that Anon and Rainbow were looking out for you.
>...
>Now that you think about it, she was more like a sister to you than anything.
>Sure you can get on each other’s nerves now and again, but you would still look out for one another.
>Hope she doesn't feel jealous towards Anon and Rainbow... Bah, she didn't like you like that anyway!
>
>You must look like a fool right now.  Dampener on your horn, letter in your mouth, and a stupid grin on your face for no apparent reason.
>All while walking back to Anon's house, with an ever looming sky above.
>Ah, who cares?  It was your moment, live it up.
>Or something inspirational like that.
>
>The day was passing by pleasantly quickly, and you were starting to feel it.
>Normally you weren't even up by noon, let alone done anything productive by that time.
>Your body knew it too.  It was time for a nap.
>You knocked on the door to Anon's house, and he let you in.
>Seeing that Rainbow was talking with Scootaloo and two other fillies, he led you upstairs to your room.
>After the door shut, his mouth opened.
>"So, did you have a good time with Octavia?"
>You turned to look at him and sat down on the floor.
>"What?"
>You gazed up at him with puppy dog eyes.
>After he realized what you wanted, he reached down and took the letter from your mouth.
>Upon doing so, you tackled him to the ground in a hug.
>"So it went well then?"

----------------------

"Oh man it was GREAT!  Do you know what she did?  She listened to some of my music!  She might actually even like some at that!  Can you believe it?!"
>"Glad you had a good time, Vinyl.  Can I stand up now?"
"Hmmm.... Nah."
>You were perfectly content on his chest in what could easily be mistaken for an attempt to expunge the oxygen from his lungs.
>He sighed and stood up anyway.  You didn't let off the hug in the slightest though.
>"Vinyl, I'd like to have full lung capacity, if you don't mind" he said as he started pulling you off of himself.
>He eventually overpowered your grip and managed to remove himself from your iron grip.
"Awwww"
>He inhaled deeply before setting you down on your bed.
>"So, what all did you and Octavia do?"
>You flopped over to a comfortable position on the bed and looked up at Anon.
"Oh man!  I had so much fun!  I never knew Octavia was so... not stuck up.  I've always wanted her to relax and just chill, and she finally did!"
>"You make it sound like a life goal or something."
"You have no idea!  I've known Octavia for a while now.  She's a good friend, but she's always been a bit... secluded, I guess."
>"Sounds familiar."
"Oh pffffttt.  That's not the same thing."
>"Uh huh, sure.  Whatever you say."
"ANYWAYS.  It was... I really needed that, Nonny.  It was great."
>"Yeah, it's been a while since I've seen you like this.  Good to have the old Scratch back."
"Yeah yeah.  Man!  I want to do so much!  I--"
>You were interrupted by a knock at the door.
>"I'll get it" Anon said as he walked over to answer the door.

----------------------

>"What's up Dash?"
>"Hey, Princess Luna is here."
"Princess Luna?!"
>"Calm down Vinyl, I'm sure it's noth--"
"ARE YOU KIDDING?  WHAT DO I TELL HER ABOUT THE AUDITORIUM?!  IT WON'T BE--"
>"VINYL.  Chill."
>Chill?  What is he, stupid?  THIS COULD BE THE END OF YOUR CAREER AS AN ENTERTAINER.
>"C'mon Vinyl, let's go see the Princess."
"But--"
>"No.  C'mon."
>You reluctantly stood up on the bed and followed Anon out of the room.
>The walk down the stairs to the living room seemed much faster than it should've been.
>When you arrived at the base of the stairs, you found Luna sitting across from three fillies in the living room.
>You could smell the awkward.
>"Princess Luna?  What can I do for you?"
>"Hello Anon.  Is there somewhere that we can talk... in private?"
>"Tell ya what.  You, Vinyl and the Princess talk, I'll take the girls home.  C'mon girls."
>The three fillies hopped off the couch and followed Rainbow out the door.
>"See you in a bit, Dashie."
>Rainbow blushed hard at the pet name.  Probably because of him using it in front of Luna.
>"Anon, please take a seat."
>"Is everything alright, Princess?"
>"We have... much to discuss.  I suppose the best method would be to start at the beginning."
>She levitated a newspaper over to Anon who promptly handed it to you.
>Rather, he held it out until he remembered you were wearing the dampener.
>"Luna, I can't read po--"
>"The article is about Filthy Rich.  Seems a higher court ordered a more thorough investigation into the trial against Loyalty."
>"Really?  Why?"

----------------------

>"The courts determined that, given the circumstances and the fact that no one was hurt, that action should be taken."
>"Action should be taken?  What do you mean?"
>"The regional court has ordered that Filthy Rich pay, in full, for all of the belongings he took from Loyalty."
>Anon didn't say anything.
"Nonny?  You okay?"
>"Did... Did I hear you right, Princess?  He's going to pay Rainbow--"
>"You heard correctly, Anon.  Everything he took from Loyalty is to be paid for, in full."
>"Holy shit."
>"That's... one way to put it, yes."
>"But... why?  Why did the regional court decide to get involved?"
>"The regional court decided that, since the case involved an Element of Harmony, it should be reviewed in great detail, and so it was.  My apologies that it took so long--"
>"Luna, I might kiss you."
>"...Consider yourself warned, then.  I merely... suggested that the courts look further into the case to be certain a fair outcome was reached."
"Aww man, Rainbow's gonna flip!"
>"Which brings me to my next item of business.  Why are you wearing a magic dampener, Vinyl Scratch?"
"I-I... Uhhh..."
>"You... are aware you're wearing it, yes?"
"Yeah! Yeah, it's... I'm wearing it because..."
>"She made an agreement with Rainbow that relies on her wearing the dampener."
>"I do hope you remove it sometime soon."
"Why's that?"
>"For the festival, of course.  I imagine it wouldn't be easy to work your instruments without magic."
"You're right about that... But, I'm guessing you haven't heard about the auditorium?"
>"You mean its destruction?  I assure you, I am very much aware."

----------------------

"Princess... I don't think it'll be rebuilt in time for the--"
>"Of course not.  That is why I brought these."
>A burst of light conjured up two tickets that floated down to the table.
"Tickets?  To what?"
>"A cruise.  Three days and four nights long, from Los Pegasus to Vanhoover.  A train will take you back here."
"You're kidding."
>"I assure you, I do not 'kid.'  Of course, you're not obligated to go, but the equipment will be made ready for you should you decide to partake in the cruise."
"A cruise party?  FOR THE LUNAR FESTIVAL?!  Ooooohhhh..."
>Calm down girl.  You need to think this through.  What about your promise to Dash?
"I... I really appreciate the offer, Princess, but I've gotta... I need to think about it some more."
>"Of course.  You need only show up to the ship, should you accept.  It will depart in one week’s time.  Now, if you will excuse me, I've royal business I must attend to."
>"Princess, thanks again for... All of this, really.  I don't know how--"
>"Do not thank me, Anon.  Stay out of trouble so that I shant have to take such action again."
>Before Anon could respond, Luna had teleported out of the room.
"Well... that was... Unexpected."
>"I would make a stupid joke about the Spanish inquisition, but I'd rather not toy with fate at this point."
"Spanish Inquisition?"
>"Told you, stupid joke."
"So... what should I do?"
>"Hmm?"
"The cruise?  She's really saving my flank here, but..."
>"But?"
"I don't want to just up and break my promise to Dash!"
>"She'll just have to get up and flying before the cruise."
"And what if she isn't?  What if--"

----------------------

>"You're gonna hurt yourself worrying about the future like that.  There's a saying back home: 'We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.'"
"...I guess.  But still!"
>"You don't learn too well, do you?"
"Oh hush.  It's so big!  I could make enough money to pay my employees a bonus!  I might even have enough to rent a hotel while the auditorium is rebuilt!"
>"Rent a hotel?  What's wrong with staying here?"
"Uhh... Nothing, it's just... I'm already mooching enough--"
>"Vinyl, you took me and Rainbow in, had this house built for us, and you're worried about mooching?  What are you, stupid?"
>He reached over and pulled you to his side, holding you close.
>"Knucklehead.  If you'd said something about needing help, why would you ever think we'd turn you down?"
"I... I dunno, I just--"
>"Whatever.  Listen, just talk to us.  I promise, I don't bite.  Much."
>You looked up at him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"Don't tell Rainbow I did that.  She might--"
>Before you could finish the sentence, Rainbow was shutting the door behind herself.
>"I might, what?"
"I, uhh--"
>You did the only thing you could think of, which was put as much distance as possible between yourself and Anon.
>"Well?"
"Nothing!"
>Rainbow trotted over to the couch and hopped up next to Anon, where you'd been previously.
>"So Nonny, what'd Luna want?"
>You watched Rainbow's mood change drastically as Anon told her what Luna had said.
>"I... I don't..."
>"That's about what I said.  Isn't it great!?"
>"It's... It's... AWESOME!  Oh man!  Can you imagine the look on Filthy's face?!"

----------------------

>Heh, that would be pretty funny.
>"What I wouldn't give to have seen his face!  This.  Is.  AWESOME!"
>After Rainbow calmed down a bit, she noticed the tickets on the table.
>"Oh hey!  What're the tickets for?"
"A cruise."
>Rainbow looked over to you.  "A cruise?  For what?"
"Princess Luna... She heard about the Auditorium, and offered me the ship to use for the Lunar festival."
>"Oh wow!  That's awesome!  When is it?"
"...In a week.  Cruise lasts for three days and four nights."
>"Wow!  So, you're gonna take it, right?"
"I... I don't know..."
>"What do you mean you don't know?"
"I..."
>"She has to use magic to run her equipment, Dash.  She doesn't want to break her promise to you."
"Yeah... What he said."
>"...Oh..."
"So... Yeah.  I... I think I'll turn it down..."
>Before you realized what was going on, Rainbow had pinned you to the couch.
>She was glaring down into your eyes and growling.
"Wha--?"
>"What are you, stupid?!"
"No!  I... I don't want to--"
>"GAH!  Why do you have to be so... so..."
>She growled again, before leaning down and kissing you on the lips.
>At that very moment, time seemed to freeze.
>You felt everything.  Her hooves against your shoulders, her lips against yours, and the shock of what she was doing hitting you.
>All in great detail and exaggerated time.  What the hell was she doing?  Did she just--?
>As your mind was still screaming to find out what was going on, she broke the kiss and hopped off of you.
>You lay in shock for a moment before you looked at Anon.
"Anon... What just--"

----------------------

>"I... I have no idea, Vinyl."
>In the time that you'd taken to look at Anon, you failed to notice Rainbow run up the stairs.
"I... I'm so confused."
>"...That makes two of us.  Let's go find out just what the hell happened."

----------------------

###Last Edit: 11/19/2012 0015